Domestic Violence Not An Important Issue in South Carolina

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) doesn’t believe that rape and domestic abuse are matters of public health, which is why she vetoed nearly half a million dollars slated to go toward domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs.

Haley defended the veto by claiming these kinds of prevention programs “distract from” the Department of Health’s mission to tend to matters of public health. Furthermore, Haley argued, rape victims represent only a “small portion” of South Carolinians who need assistance. “Each of these lines attempts to serve a portion of our population for which we extend our sympathy and encouragement, but nevertheless, it is only a small portion of South Carolina’s chronically ill or abused. Overall, these special add-on lines distract from the agency’s broader mission of protecting South Carolina’s public health.”

As ThinkProgress reports, Haley may want to re-think her reasoning. South Carolina ranks seventh in the country for the number of women killed by men, and has had a rate of sexual violence higher than the national average since 1982. If anything the state should be increasing resources to help get the epidemic of violence against women under control.

Haley’s veto would be shocking if it wasn’t to be expected by Republican governors. Rape and domestic violence prevention programs are hardly “distractions” to an agency designed to address matters of public health, unless of course you don’t believe that rape and domestic violence are matters of public concern. It’s patently obvious that is exactly what Republicans think.

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90 comments

While one pointed out there is already money in the budget allotted for sexual crimes it is appalling that money is now given to the health care aspect of the situation as many assault victims suffer from both physical and other trauma (such as PTSD). However, such things never seem to be much of a concern when it comes to the Republican agenda.

I lived in S.C. for over 20 years of my life. This is nothing new for this state. No matter who was in government, there has been a concerted effort to keep domestic violence penalties to a minimum, to not fund or create any rape crisis centers,etc. The local politicians prefer to "let churches deal with it". It's not so much that Carolinian politicians think they hate women, they just genuinely believe the churches can and will take care of everything. Rape? Let the church centers provide counseling. Domestic abuse? That's marital conflicts--let the pastor handle it.

And yet they consistently ignore reality--that domestic abuse is common in that state, and none of the thousands of churches actually manage to prevent rape or domestic abuse (or any other crime for that matter).

Just one of many programs she vetoed.
Gov. Nikki Haley has struck out 81 items from the Legislature's budget and a separate bill spending money from a rainy day account.
Items Haley wants removed from the budget include $10 million allocated to school districts to help boost teachers' salaries. Local projects she calls wasteful earmarks include money for a North Myrtle Beach museum, preserving African-American history sites in Charleston and preserving the nation's first community of freed slaves in Beaufort County.
The governor also designated less money to a commerce department fund used to close economic development deals.

I think the legislature still has the ability to override some of these vetoes.